Kent Innovation Pilot case studies

Family Group Conferencing

“I just wanted to say congratulations on the success of your FGC for this family. I’ve just had a fantastic interview with mum who can not praise you or FGC enough. She describes herself as a very proud mum who finds it hard to ask for help, but the FGC gave her an opportunity to hear about what she does well, and the additional support that is available (some of which she had never heard of), and although she found this emotional and overwhelming, she said it gave her a forum in which she could easily choose from the menu of support available.

She said that in the past she has accessed lots of services but FGC has been the most helpful, bringing everything together. She wanted to say a big thank you to you. She mentioned the table and chairs that she needs and said that at the children’s centre yesterday she was told they are being ordered. She is so excited and told me what a difference it will make to her families lives, just to be able to eat dinner and play at a table, not the floor. It was very touching.

She also talked about her hopes for the future and she was so positive, talking about the groups she will be engaging with, and the hope that her own adult learning course will lead to her eventually returning to work. Fantastic stuff!”

Hardship Fund

Thanet 1 – Mother and father, both on benefits, with four children. A teacher had concerns regarding a child. As the girl came into school most days crying and saying she was really tried. The pupil then told the teacher she was sharing a bed with her sister. The teacher voiced her concerns to me and I arranged a meeting with the girl’s mother to discuss the matters.

The family had tried to get funding from the council hardship fund and were refused. The mother was getting very distressed because neither of the girls was sleeping well and was always tired.

I accessed the fund by telephoning Thanet 1 Senior FLO Tracey Kingston, and could very quickly say to the mother that I could help the family by purchasing bunk beds. The mother was very relieved and grateful that the girls would have new beds. The teacher has noticed an improvement in the child’s demeanour since receiving the beds. She comes to school awake and happy, ready to learn. I have since seen the girls at school, one said happily “The beds are made now and were sleeping in our own bed.”

Thanet 2 and Kent Benefits Partnership - Concerns were raised during Term 2 with a child’s punctuality. There were issues around her leaving the house due to bullying around the flat and also as mum was depressed. The council had arranged a housing association flat but mum was not able to cope with the move/arrangements. Fegans stepped in and moved the family, with one of the workers supporting mum with the housing association and benefit issues. It was clear at that time that the family had very little belongings and the hardship fund was accessed for funding for a fridge, as the old fridge was part of the original flat.

Following the move, we found out that there were considerable problems with mums benefits as she hadn’t applied/completed the correct forms/housing benefit hadn’t been swapped over causing mum considerable stress. The pupil came into school and had not eaten, as there was no food in the house, the washing machine had broken and therefore no clean clothes. The school were able to provide some second hand uniform and saucepans, plates etc. Again, we were able to access the hardship fund and provide some non-perishable foods, duvets and sheets for the child together with school shoes and shirts and general kitchen equipment. We also were able to carpet the flat as it only had concrete floors, which was making everything dusty and dirty.

We now have a pupil who feels like she actually has a home and feels better about herself. Mum will continue to receive support from Fegans and also KBP. The pupil is still supporting mum although with other agencies involved, hopefully mum will start to take control and the pupil is getting support from both Fegans and also Young Carers. The funding has helped this family during a very difficult time and they can see there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Pinnacle Pathway

Since meeting **Sarah in October she has re engaged with services and education, and made great progress towards gaining the skills to become independent.

On the first visit with Sarah she seemed de motivated and totally uninterested in being in any form of education. When we began talking to her it seemed clear that a bit of support and continuity would enable her to re engage with education and services. I have visited with Sarah on many occasions when I feel that she is in need of extra support and I am confident that this has enabled her to continue with her planned provision.

Sarah is very vulnerable and could not engage in school on a full time basis so between education welfare and my self we put her on an alternative package; Sarah has a tutor to teach her English and Maths for 5 hours a week. Sarah has expressed a desire to go into childcare and become a nursery nurse so I have arranged one day per week work experience at a local nursery where her son can attend the crèche upstairs.

Alongside these provisions Sarah is completing AQA accreditations for her placement and also some work at home. Sarah will receive certificates for all her AQA work and her tutor believes that with continued support she can achieve GCSE’s in English and Maths (in the beginning this would have been considered impossible due to Sarah’s poor attendance at school).

Sarah has recently had some personal issues that have effected her education but she has dealt with them in a mature and appropriate way proving that she now has the confidence to tackle them!

It is my hope that with the ongoing support that Sarah receives she can realise her ambition of going to college in September and gaining her childcare qualification.